So I have a project that I am building. its a cedar grill stand. I plan on making the table top out of .75×3.75” with 1/4 spacing. The bottom shelf will be 1.7 x .75 1/4 inch spacing. My question after searching here and elsewhere is which direction the grain should or could run? I know vertical grain is stronger but the horizontal grain i find more appealing “to my eye” with its slight wave and character. So for the bottom shelf with the boards being 1.7x .75×14.5” does it matter which direction the grain goes?

The boards will be but joined to a bottom apron with glue and pocket screws. I am milling the boards from 4×4s so i can choose, to a certain extent, which direction the grain runs.

Here is my design

What do you think?

Thank you in advance,

Michael

2 replies so far

It looks like a nice design. Vertical grain will move about half as much as horizontal grain. So if larger gaps in dry weather don’t bother you then there is no reason not use the horizontal faces. Vertical grain won’t “cup” like horizontal grain has a tendency to, either, so that is another consideration.